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Friday, September 19, 2014

Review: Surviving Goodbye by Morgan Parker

Surviving Goodbye

Morgan Parker

Synopsis

In the final hours of
her life, Elliot Fitch’s wife confesses that he is not the biological
father to their 16-year old daughter.

Surviving Goodbye follows
Elliot’s collision course with Fate as he embarks on a journey to locate
his daughter’s real father. When Elena, now seventeen years old,
announces her unplanned pregnancy and the father’s unwillingness to play
a role in their child’s upbringing, Elliot faces an ironic dilemma
about the true meaning of parenthood and the roles we play in the lives
of others, particularly those we love and who love us in return.

Review

It is not every day that I read a book and I'm only 60 pages in when I want to recommend it to people to read. In fact that list of books is small. They deserve more than Five-stars and an A+. These are the books that stick with you. They touch you in a way that you feel you can't really express it in words. You want your friends and anyone you know who loves books to read this book because, that is the only way to really grasp how special the book is.

Surviving Goodbye by Morgan Parker is one of these books. It has been a long time since I was so invested in a book that I took my time to read. I didn't want to rush it. I wanted to drink in every word. Parker's story about Elliot Finch, a man who finds out that he is not the biological father of his daughter on his wife's death bed is a brilliant story. Elliott spends the next year depressed and angry at his wife. How could someone he loved so much do this to him? He makes it his mission to find out the truth about his daughter's biological father. The mission becomes more urgent for him when his 17 year-old daughter Elena, announces she pregnant. During this crazy time for him he meets delivery driver Veronica, a young woman who shows an interest in Elliot and offers to help out him out in his search. Along the way, Veronica might just be the thing he needs to start living again.

What happens over 300 pages is a story you are never going to forget, with an ending that I am still thinking about weeks later. Morgan Parker masterfully weaves a story that will make you feel a spectrum of emotions. You will get angry, laugh, cry, love, and have hope. His characters are smart, witty, funny and you will fall in love with them. Surviving Goodbye is a beautiful and breathtaking story that I'm going to think about for a long time. So Bravo to you Morgan Parker, on writing a book that is perfect to this reader.